Apparatus for the detection of broken yarn and the like on textile machines



p 1968 J. E. R. GREGORY 3,492,269

APPARATUS FOR THE DETECTION OF BROKEN YARN AND THE LIKE ON TEXT MACHINESFiled May 2, 6

United States Patent "ice 3,402,269 APPARATUS FOR THE DETECTION OFBROKEN YARN AND THE LIKE 0N TEXTILE MACHINES John Edward ReginaldGregory, Wimborne, Dorset, England, assignor to Flight RefuellingLimited, Wimborne, Dorset, England Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 546,765Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 6, 1965, 42,443/65;Feb. 25, 1966, 8,480/66 Claims. (Cl. 200-6113) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An apparatus for detecting breaks in continuous textilematerial including an arm movably suspended from a flexible membrane.The textile material passes through an eyelet in one end of the armbiasing it to a first position. When the material breaks, the arm swingson the membrane to a second position wherein a magnet mounted on the armeffects activation of switch contacts, the operation of which will causean appropriate alarm.

This invention relates to apparatus for the detection of breaks intextile material such as yarns and rovings in textile machines.

The textile material may be the warp yarn passing through a warpingmachine for the manufacture of carpets, belts and the like or may be anykind of textile material including synthetic textile material.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved form ofyarn break detector apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of yarnbreak detector apparatus and in particular to provide an improved pivotand pivoted arm.

A further object of the invention is to provide means associated withthe pivoted arm for indicating whether the arm is in an operative orinoperative position.

Thus according to the present invention there is provided an apparatusfor detecting the occurrence of a break in textile material passingthrough a textile machine comprising an arm suspended by means of amembrane and having one end thereof normally supported by the textilematerial and having a magnet located on the other end of the arm in thevicinity of switch contacts such that whenever a break occurs in thematerial, the arm swings on the flexible membrane to allow the magnet toeffect actuation of the switch contacts.

According to a further feature of the invention there is provided apivoted member arranged such as to be moved into the path of thesuspended arm to prevent swinging movement thereof and actuation of theswitch contacts by the magnet carried by the arm.

The constructional features of a preferred embodiment of the inventionwill now be described by way of example only with particular referenceto the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a yarn break detector device of thepresent invention with the yarn unbroken and the pivoted arm in theraised position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 with the arm in thedropped position following breakage of the varn:

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 but with the parkinglever in the operate position; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a bank of yarn break detectors,

Referring to FIGURE 1, the yarn 1 passes through an eye 2 formed in aguide 3 located at one end of a cranked arm 4, the other end of whichcarries or has incorporated therewithin a permanent magnet 5 (FIGURE 4).The

3,402,269 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 cranked arm 4 is suspended at a pointintermediate the eye 2 and magnet 5, by means of a membrane 6 preferablyformed of thin plastics material, from a point in a casing 7 of thedetector device. Preferably, the casing 7 and arm 4 are moulded fromplastics material and the end of the arm 4 remote from the magnet 5 isformed with the yarn guide preferably of ceramic material provided withthe eyelet 2 through which the yarn 1 passes.

A recess 8 in the casing 7 is provided with a reed-typemagnetically-operated switch 9 having normally-open switch contacts 10,11. The arrangement is such that normally the running yarn 1 passesthrough the eye 2 in the ceramic yarn guide 3 and holds the arm in aposition where the magnet 5 is out of range of the switch contacts 10,11 and unable to exert influence thereon.

When a break occurs in the running yarn 1, the weight of the ceramicguide 3 on the end of the cranked arm 4 causes the arm to swing with themembranous suspension 6, bringing the magnet 5 into close proximity withthe normally-open contacts 10, 11, of the reed-type switch 9, as shownin FIGURE 2. The contacts 10, 11 close under the influence of the magnetand signal the breaking of the yarn 1 such that appropriate action maybe taken.

The switch contacts 10, 11 may be connected in circuit with means suchas audio or visual warning mechanism, machine stop mechanism or yarnre-joining mechanism and may be normally-closed and actuated to the openstate upon the occurrence of a break in the yarn.

The suspension of the arm by means of a membrane obviates the need forthe use of conventional type pivots which may be effected by cotton flyand dust from synthetic fibres, which may be of an' extremely abrasivenature.

As indicated above, the magnet may be located within the arm and wherethe arm is of plastics material, may be moulded therein during themoulding operation.

It is advantageous to be able to locate the switch arm 4 in thenon-operative position when not in use and for this purpose as shown inFIGURE 3, a further member 12 is pivotally mounted on the casing 7 ofeach detector device such that the nose 13 thereof can be moved into thepath of the magnet end of the switch arm 4 and prevent this end of theswitch arm moving into actuating range of the switch contacts 10, 11.The pivoted member 12 is provided with a distinctive tail portion 14such that when a plurality of such detector devices are arranged in ablank as shown in FIGURE 4, the devices in the operative position areclearly distinguished from those in the inoperative position.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the yarn passes throughan eye formed at one end of the cranked arm, or in a ceramic yarn guideassociated therewith, the other end of the arm remote from the eye beingconnected to a bar or rod pivotally mounted in a casing of the detectionapparatus. The bar or rod is provided at one end with an annular magnetlocated around the contacts of a reed-type magnetically-operated switchsupported within the casing.

The arrangement is such that normally, the running yarn passes throughthe eye in the cranked arm and supports the arm against the bias of aspring such that the magnet is located in a position surrounding theswitch contacts and maintaining closure thereof.

When a break occurs in the running yarn, the cranked arm and associatedmagnet swing and the magnet is biased to a position where the switchcontacts are no longer maintained closed and the breaking of thecontacts signal the breaking of the yarn such that appropriate actionmay be taken, as described in connection with the previous embodiment.

It will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of considerablemodification and is not to be deemed limited to the particularconstructional features described by way of example only.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for detecting the occurrence of a break in textilematerial passing through a textile machine comprising an arm, means onone end of said arm for engaging said textile material, magnet meansmounted on said arm, flexible membrane means suspending said arm forswinging motion, electrical switch contact means actuatable by magneticflux, said textile material normally holding said arm in a firstposition, said arm swinging on said flexible membrane to a secondposition wherein the flux of said magnet actuates said electrical switchcontact means upon breaking of said textile material.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a member mountedfor movement into and out of the path of said arm to selectively preventmovement of said arm and subsequent actuation of said electrical switchcontact means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said textile materialengaging means comprises a ceramic yarn guide having an eyelet thereinthrough which said material passes.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said electrical switchcontact means comprises an encapsulated reed-type magnetically actuatedswitch.

5. An apparatus for detecting the occurrence of a break in textilematerial passing through a textile machine comprising an arm, means onone end of said arm for en gaging said textile material, a member oneend of which is pivotally connected to said arm, magnetic means mountedon the other end of said member, flexible membrane means suspending saidarm for swinging motion, electrical switch contact means actuatable bymagnetic flux, said textile material normally holding said arm in afirst position where upon breaking of said textile material said armswings on said flexible membrane to a second position displacing saidmagnetic means with respect tosaid electrical switch contact means toeffect actuation of said switch contact means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,734,956 2/1956 Berker 20061.182,881,982 4/1959 Miller 24236 3,330,016 7/1967 Smith 335----205 BERNARDA. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. F. E. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

